Florida termite contracts
Florida Termite Bond: What to Check Before You Sign or Renew
Short Answer
A Florida “termite bond” is only as useful as the written treatment contract behind that label. Start with the first page: Florida law requires it to say in bold whether the contract offers retreatment and repair, retreatment only, or no warranty or guarantee. It must also flag whether limits, conditions, exclusions, or disclaimers apply. Then check exactly which termites, structures, and treatments the agreement covers, what renewal costs, and what you must do if activity returns. A sales description is not a substitute for those written terms. See Florida Statutes section 482.227.
This is a Florida contract-reading guide for homeowners comparing an offer, renewing coverage, or buying a home with an existing agreement. For the national definition and contract types, start with What Is a Termite Bond? The signed agreement and applicable law control.
First, Read the Bold Disclosure on Page One
Florida requires a new contract for treating wood-destroying organisms to identify its warranty category on the first page in bold print. The same page must disclose, in bold, whether the company’s repair or retreatment obligations have any disclaimers, limitations, conditions, or exclusions. The relevant sections must have bold headings. These disclosures tell you where to look; they do not replace reading the detailed terms. Florida Statutes section 482.227.
Scroll the table sideways to see both columns.
| If page one says… | Ask before signing |
|---|---|
| Retreatment and repair | Which new damage qualifies, what proof is needed, and what is the repair limit? |
| Retreatment only | When must the company inspect and treat again, and who pays to repair damaged wood? |
| No warranty or guarantee | What service is being bought now, and what happens if termites return? |
Do not read “retreatment and repair” as unlimited protection. Florida law restricts the use of “full” or “unlimited” with “guarantee” or “warranty” when applicable repair or retreatment obligations contain a disclaimer, limit, condition, or exclusion. Read the statutory wording.
If the category or limits are unclear: ask the company for the complete contract before work or payment and have it identify the relevant clause in writing. Florida’s FDACS Consumer Notice Form advises homeowners to read the contract before treatment and compare offers.
Confirm the Termites, Buildings, and Treatment Area
The first page is only the start. A Florida agreement should identify the organism the company is treating or promising to control. The FDACS Consumer Notice Form tells consumers to check whether Formosan termites are covered, whether a treatment is included when the contract starts, what that treatment costs, and whether it is only a spot treatment. A promise limited to one organism or area is not a whole-property protection plan.
Before comparing prices, mark these points on each proposal:
- Which organisms? Does written coverage name subterranean termites, drywood termites, Formosan termites, or another wood-destroying organism? Are any expressly excluded?
- Which structures? Does it cover the house only, or also an addition, detached garage, deck, fence, or other structure? Identify the address and covered structures.
- Which areas? Is the work limited to a named room, wall, or other spot? Ask what remains outside the treatment and warranty scope.
- Treatment now or coverage without initial treatment? FDACS notes that some contracts do not include treatment when issued; the document should make that clear. Ask what establishes the starting condition.
- Existing infestation or prevention? Ask whether the proposal addresses confirmed current activity or only future prevention. A recommendation should identify the organism and location, not just quote square footage.
If you are still identifying the termite group, use Termites in Florida. Species identification and contract coverage are related decisions, but they are not interchangeable.
Compare Two Proposals Line by Line
Put the two written contracts side by side. For each item below, locate the answer and clause in both proposals. If the answer is missing, ask the company to clarify it in writing rather than assuming coverage exists.
Check the company’s current license through the FDACS pest-control database before comparing the details.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Contract item | What to find in each proposal | Question if unclear |
|---|---|---|
| Company and property | Company/license, date, address, covered buildings. | Does this cover every structure you want protected? |
| Termites covered | Named organisms, including Formosan coverage or exclusion. | Does the document cover the organism found or suspected? |
| Treatment scope | Initial treatment, method, treated areas, and any spot-only limit. | What happens in untreated areas? |
| Warranty category | Repair and retreatment, retreatment only, or no warranty. | What does the company actually promise after treatment? |
| Inspection and claims | Reinspection terms, fees, notice method, retreatment and repair conditions. | How do you report activity and obtain a written service report? |
| Repair limit | Maximum amount and exclusions, if repairs are offered. | What counts as covered new damage? |
| Price and renewal | Initial charge, annual amount, term, renewal and lapse language. | What changes when the contract renews? |
| Sale or transfer | Any assignment process, required inspection, deadlines, or fee. | Will the agreement continue for a new owner? |
Use the exact wording of your contracts. This checklist does not imply that a particular term or remedy is included.
The FDACS consumer notice encourages homeowners to compare contracts before signing. Use the checklist above to compare the specific written terms and costs in your proposals.
Do not choose solely by the lowest initial quote. A lower-priced proposal may cover fewer organisms or areas, provide retreatment without repairs, have a different renewal amount, or depend on different conditions. This is a comparison principle, not a claim about any particular company.
Read the Exclusions as Carefully as the Promise
Florida’s consumer notice warns that repair contracts do not cover every situation. It highlights leaks, moisture, wood or siding contacting the ground, slab cracks, and limited visibility as examples that may affect a company’s obligations. It also tells consumers to check any Formosan-related waiting period or exclusion. These are prompts to review your document, not automatic reasons a claim will be denied.
Ask the company to show you:
- the exact clause defining covered new damage and the evidence required;
- every condition that can limit retreatment or repair, including maintenance obligations;
- whether inaccessible areas, additions, or structural changes affect coverage;
- the repair cap, if any, and who determines the scope of repair;
- how it will notify you of a condition that may affect coverage and what opportunity you have to correct it.
Keep the signed contract, inspection reports, treatment records, photographs, and repair invoices together. The FDACS notice says conditions limiting repair or retreatment must appear under bold headings and describes notice and an opportunity to correct certain conditions before coverage is denied. If a dispute arises, the contract and applicable rule matter. See the current Florida Administrative Code rule 5E-14.105.
Before You Renew, Buy, or Sell
An annual payment is not enough information by itself. Before renewing, ask for the current agreement and the latest inspection or service report. Check the deadline and amount, whether terms changed, whether conditions flagged at earlier inspections remain unresolved, and what coverage continues after payment. If the company proposes a new contract, compare its first-page warranty category and exclusions with the agreement you already have.
Do not assume an agreement automatically transfers when a home is sold. Ask whether your specific contract can be assigned, whether it requires a new inspection, paperwork, a fee, or a new agreement, and when each step must happen. A WDO report prepared for a transaction is different; it does not create continuing protection by itself. Florida Statutes section 482.226.
New construction is a separate case. Builder-issued preventive treatment contracts can follow different timing and warranty rules. Obtain the actual paperwork at closing and ask the provider which provisions apply. Do not apply a preconstruction warranty rule to every existing-home bond. See the FDACS notice and rule 5E-14.105.
A WDO Inspection Report Is Not a Termite Bond
A Florida wood-destroying organism (WDO) inspection report describes findings from an inspection in a real-estate context. Under section 482.226, it is not a guarantee that termites or damage are absent unless it expressly states the extent of such a guarantee. A continuing treatment contract, if one exists, separately defines future service and possible warranty obligations.
If a seller, agent, or lender mentions a “termite letter,” ask which document they mean: an inspection report, a treatment record, or a potentially transferable service contract. Do not assume a bond is required for every Florida home sale.
If Activity Returns or Coverage Is Denied
If you see new evidence, preserve dated photos and note the exact location without opening walls or disturbing suspected structural damage. Contact the company using the notice method in your contract. Ask for findings in writing and retain its signed service report. Florida Statutes section 482.226 requires a signed report for specified contract inspections or covered treatments.
If the company says retreatment or repair is not covered, ask for a written explanation identifying the clause and facts it relied on. Discuss it with the certified operator or branch manager first. For suspected violations of pest-control rules, FDACS explains how to file a written complaint. FDACS can investigate regulatory compliance; it cannot arbitrate a private damage claim or award a settlement. For a contract or property-damage dispute, consider qualified legal advice.
If you are unsure whether treatment worked or the evidence is new, use How to Know If Termite Treatment Worked to frame questions for the professional, not to diagnose active infestation from one mark alone.
Bottom Line
Compare the written obligation, not the sales name: warranty category, covered organisms and structures, treatment scope, exclusions, repair limit, renewal terms, and reporting process. Keep the WDO inspection report separate from continuing coverage. If two proposals answer those questions differently, they are not equivalent even if both say “termite bond” on the cover.
Florida Sources and Scope
- Florida Statutes section 482.227: Guarantees and warranties.
- Florida Statutes section 482.226: WDO inspection and contract-service reports.
- Florida Administrative Code rule 5E-14.105: WDO treatment contracts.
- FDACS Consumer Notice Form 13692.
- FDACS: Pest Control Database Search.
- FDACS: How to Report a Problem or File a Complaint.
This guide offers general information, not legal, insurance, or financial advice. Contract wording and facts determine the available remedies. Verify current Florida law and your own agreement before making a decision. See our Methodology.